Moulded element portable typewriter



Nov. 11, 1958 sum 2,859,852

MOULDED ELEMENT PORTABLE TYPEWRITER Filed July 1. 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet l ZN VE/V 701?:

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MOULDED ELEMENT PORTABLE TYPEWRITER I Filed July 1. 1954 4 Sheets-Shet 2 Fie2.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Nov. 11, 1958 F. A. SUIF MOULDED ELEMENT PORTABLE TYPEWRITER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 1. 1954 2,859,852 MOULDED ELEMENT PORTABLE TYPEWRITER Fernand Albert Suit, Meudon, France Application July 1, 1954, Serial No. 440,656

Claims priority, application France July 3, 1953 4 Claims. (Cl. 197-22) An object of the present invention is the creation of a novel typewriter intended particularly for use as a toy but which, possibly, in view of its small dimensions, may be used as an inexpensive portable typewriter, a so-called universal machine, for taking notes in one or two copies.

One object of the invention is that the typewriter which is the object thereof may be obtained by an assembly of simple and identical elements manufactured almost exclusively out of plastic material, so that its cost is as low as possible and its weight of the order of one kilogram allows an easy transportation, particularly for air travel.

Another object of the invention is that all the operations efiected by a normal typewriter may be effected in the same manner and using similar control elements, so that a person having learned to type on the machine of the invention may use later a conventional machine without the necessity of any readaptation.

According to the invention, the machine comprises a frame in the form of a box provided-inside with supports for type bar control levers and an element in the shape of a frame which causes the displacement, at each pulse it receives from the type bar control levers, of a pawl engaging the teeth of a rack formed under a carriage supporting the cylinder of the machine, said carriage being capable of being raised so as to offer the cylinder one or the other of the sets of types carried by each bar by means of a lever controlling a cam which causes the successive lifting and lowering of a table supporting the carriage, this table also carrying the pawl engaged with the rack of said carriage which is associated with resilient elements tending constantly to cause its advance in one direction so that it be displaced every time the pawl is controlled by the frame shaped element the motion of which has in addition the effect of rotating by means of a ratchet, spools carrying an inking ribbon which is brought at each depression of a key in front of the cylinder of the machine by a pivoting lever controlled by the displacement of the pawl in engagement with the teeth of the carriage rack.

Numerous other features of the machine according to the invention will appear from the following detailed description.

One form of embodiment of the object of the invention is represented in the appended drawings, by way of a non-limitative example.

Fig. 1 is a plane view, from above, of the typewriter according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section along line Il-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section along line [IL-III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an elevation seen along line IVIV of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a partial descriptive view of the machine, some of the elements represented illustrating a modification with respect to the previous figures.

Fig. 6' is a partial elevation, on a larger scale, of some of the elements of the machine.

nited States Patent 9 ice Fig. 7 is an elevation, partly in section, corresponding to Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a section along line VIII-VIII of Fig. 6.

The typewriter represented in the drawings comprises a frame which consists of two symmetrical half-shells 1 and 2, so shaped as to form a casing surrounding the various portions of the mechanism 'in which only the control elements are thus apparent. The two half shells 1 and 2 are connected together by means of crosspieces 3 and 4 (Figs. 1, 3 and 4).

An apron 5, constituted by a plate offering at its a notch 8 allowing the centering and the passing of the types which have to strike the paper.

The apron 5 supports, near each one of its side edges, plates 9 and 10 which define grooves 11 in which are engaged and secured the ends of a cord 12, for instance made out of steel spring wire, and in the shape of a circular arc with its centre of curvature located substantially at the middle portion of the notch 8 provided in the apron 5.

The cord 12 constitutes an axle on which are passed the hubs 13 (Fig. 2) of type bars 14 the ends of which, when said bars are at rest, bear against a rod 15 (Fig. 3) in the shape of a circular arc and carried by lugs 16 and 17 (Figs. 1 and 3) associated respectively with the half shells 1 and 2.

The half shells 1 and 2 also serve as supports for sleeves 18 in which are passed and secured axles 19. The latter axles serve as supports for levers 20 comprising keys 21 at one end and for levers 22 supporting a spacing bar 23.

The free ends of the levers 20 serve as supports for connecting rods 24 (Fig. 3) which connect these levers respectively with each one of the type bars 14.

As may be seen particularly in Figs. 3 and S, the connecting rods 24 are secured to the bars 14 so as to tend to pivot the latter in the direction of the arrow f when a force in the direction of the arrow f is applied to the keys 21.

Lugs 25 and 26 (Fig. 3), associated with the two half shells 1, 2 support and guide the two lateral sides 27 and 28 of a frame 29 which comprises crosspieces 30 arranged parallel with the axles 19 so that the levers 20 and 21 bear against them. t

The function of the frame 29 is explained in detail hereinafter.

At their portion opposite that which includes the sleeves 18, thelateral sides of the half shells 1 and 2 comprise slides 31 and 31a used for guiding a support 32 constituted by a plate for a table 33 (Figs. 3, 4 and 5).

The support 32 has a lower edge which bears against a bar 34 supported by arms 35 which are articulated in the bearing 36 formed by the half shells.

The bar 34 bears on a cam 37 mounted free on the crosspiece 4. As is particularly visible in Figs. 3 and 5,

the cam 37 is connected by a rod 38 with one of the levers 20 so that it may be pivoted when acting on the key 21 of this lever so as to bring the bar 34 into a notch 39 or into a notch 39a of the cam 37, which has the effect of lifting the bar 34 and consequently the support 32 for the table 33.

The table 33 is designed for supporting and serving as a guide to a carriage 40 carrying a deflection guide 41 inside which a cylinder 42 is arranged mounted on axles 43, 44 passed in the lateral sides of the deflection guide 41.

A knurled knob 45 makes it possible to rotate the cylinder 42 which is held partly locked in fixed position by means of a finger 46 (Figs. 1 and 2) the end of which enters open notches 47 provided at one end of the cylinder 42 which is constantly pushed against said finger 46 by a spring 48 interposed between its other end and the lateral side adjacent to the deflecting guide 41.

A pressure bar 49, articulated by its two bent ends on each one of the lateral sides of the deflecting guide 41, is pressed on to the cylinder 42 by springs 50 attached to studs, not shown, formed or added on said lateral sides of the deflecting guide.

The supporting plate 32 for the table 33 forms at its middle portion a tubular element 51 through which is passed a coiled spring 52 (Figs. 3, 6 to'8), which is intended 'for operating in traction and in torsion.

In order that this spring may not turn when it is stretched, it is secured at one of its ends to a rod 53, the two ends of which are engaged in notches 54 provided at the end of the tubular element 51, and at its other end to a rod 55 (Figs. 3 and 8) engaged by its ends in notches formed at the front portion of a pawl 56 which is partly passed on the protruding end 51a (Figs. 7 and 8) of the element 51.

A stop 57, formed on the supporting plate 32, prevents the pawl which is mounted free on the element 51 from rotating freely in one direction whenthe spring 52 is under tension. 7

At its upper portion, the pawl 56 offers two teeth 57 and 58. These teeth, as apparent particularly from Fig.

7, are offset with respect to each other and separated by an interval the length of which is smaller than the width of the teeth 60 of a rack 61 formed in a corresponding manner under the carriage.

The space separating each one of the teeth 60 of the rack 61 is so calculated that this space corresponds to the distance which should separate two types.

The lower edge of the carriage forms a stud 62 at one of its ends (Figs. 3 and 4) to which is secured the end of a spring 63 which passes over a pulley 64 carried by an axle '65 associated with the supporting plate 32 and which is secured at its free end to a stud 66 also associated with the plate 32. In this manner, the spring 63 always tends to slide the carriage 40 in the direction of the arrow f (Figs. 4 and 5), the latter being held by one tooth only of the pawl 56.

In order to displace successively the teeth of the pawl 56, the frame 29 forms, at an end located near the rear portion of the machine, a yoke 67 the branches of which surround the tubular element 51 in such a manner that the pawl 56 which is pulled by the spring 52 bears against these branches. Consequently, when a pressure is exerted on one key 21 the corresponding lever pivots and pushes, in the direction of the arrow f (Figs. 3 and 5), the frame 29 theyoke 67 of which displaces in the same direction the pawl 56 which slides over the tubular element 51 allowing one tooth of the rack to escape, due to the traction exerted on the carriage 40 by the spring 63.

inasmuch as the space separating the ends of the teeth 58 and 59 is smaller than the width of the teeth of the rack, before the tooth 58, for instance, allows one tooth 60 to escape, the tooth 59 is already placed in the next interval between the teeth, thus preventing several teeth 60 from escaping simultaneously.

According to the form of embodiment represented in Figs. 1 to 4, the half shells 1 and 2 support spools 68 and 69 one side of which offers a set of teeth 70 engaging one or the other of the pawls 71 or 72 articulated on axles 73 (Fig. 3) carried by each one of the sides 27, 28 of the frame 29. These spools serve for connecting a ribhon, not shown, passing through apertures 74 and 75 provided in the apron 5 on each one of its two sides, said ribbon being engaged in a slot 76 (Fig. 3) of a lever 77 articulated at its foot on an axle 78 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4) carried by the supporting plate 32.

As may be seen particularly in Fig. 7, the lever 77 bears normally under the action of its own weight against a cylindrical portion 56:: of the pawl 56 which offers immediately back of this portion a frusto-conical portion 56b which has the effect, when the pawl is displaced in the direction of the arrow of pivoting the lever 77 and consequently of lifting the ribbon for bringing it behind the notch 8 in the apron 5, i. e. for interposing it between the paper to be typed wrapped around the roller 42 and the types carried by the bars 14.

In order to prevent the spools 68 or 69 from being unrolled accidentally, blades 79, secured at the end of fingers 80 (Fig. 3) associated with the half shells 1 and 2, press constantly on one of their edges. 4

Fig. 5 shows a modified embodiment of the spools according to which the latter are arranged horizontally on axles 81 carried by the half shells, said spools offering, at their lower end, a toothed crown 82 with the teeth of which pawls 83 may be placed in engagement alternately according to the direction in which the ribbon carried by these spools is unrolled.

The lever 77 otters, according to this form of embodiment, an aperture 84 through which passes the ribbon which is brought behind the notch 8 in the same manner described hereinbefore.

In order that the typewriter described may be manufactured in an inexpensive manner, all the elements which constitute it, possibly with the exception of certain axles and springs, are conveniently manufactured out of plasticmaterial. Similarly, the types indicated by the reference 85 in Fig. 5 are cast directly with the bars 14 which are identical with one another with the exception that their terminal portion carrying the types is more or less inclined. In addition, the levers 20 are also all identical from the point of view of shape and dimensions which makes it easy to manufacture them with a single mould or press.

The above described machine operates as follows:

Between the cylinder 42 and the deflecting guide 41 a sheet of paper is introducedwhich is then held motionless on the cylinder by the pressure bar 49 which allows the driving thereof.

When acting on one of the keys 21, the corresponding lever 20 is pivoted which has the effect of pulling on a connecting rod 24 and pivoting a type bar 14 which comes and strikes the paper.

Simultaneously, due to the pivoting motion of the lever 20, the frame 29 slides in the direction of the arrow f which as the effect of displacing in the same direction the pawl 56 allowing the carriage to be displaced by a distance corresponding to the length of one tooth interval in the rack 61.

The pawl 56 being held against the stop 57 by the spring 52 operating in torsion as well as by the spring 63 which constantly tends to slide the carriage in the direction in which the pawl comes against the stop, it is therefore impossible for this carriage tobe displaced during the duration of the typing which thus is effected under the best possible conditions.

When the pressure on the key 21 is discontinued, the type bar 14 tends to come and reoccupy its initial position due to its own weight and, consequently, also brings back this rod to its initial position. In addition, the spring 52, which has been tensioned more strongly due to the fact that the yoke 67 causes it to slide over the element 51 during the displacement of the frame 29, tends to be released and consequently brings back the pawl to its initial position as well as the frame 29. This also facilitates a quicker return of the levers 20.

The motion of the frame 29 causes the displacement of one or the other of the pawls 71 or 72 and consequently one or the other of the spools 63 or 69 which take up a length of ribbon corresponding to the displacement of said pawls. It is quite obvious that the second spool, which at that time is not engaged with its control pawl, rotates by itself due to the tension of the ribbon.

When it is desired to type a capital letter, the key 21 is operated, controlling the rods 38 so that the cam 37 is pivoted which lifts the bar 34, the supporting plate 32 the slide 33, the carriage 40 and its cylinder 42.

When a complete line has been typed, the cylinder 42 is rotated by acting on the knob 45 so as to bring the locking finger 46 in the next notch 47, then the carriage 40 is pushed back, its rack teeth 61 pivoting the pawl, a motion which is made possible since in this case the pawl pivots in the direction in which it is not stopped by the stop 57, the spring 52 then bringing automatically this pawl back against said stop.

The invention is not limited to the example of embodiment represented and described in detail, as various modifications may be made thereto within its scope.

I claim:

l. A toy type writing machine of synthetic moulded material comprising an outer casing having lateral flanges and upper panels delimiting an opening of large area, parallclly disposed axles axially carried by said flanges of the casing, type bar control levers and spacing bar supporting levers pivotally mounted on said axles, said levers having a lower portion extended beneath said axles, a slidably mounted frame located under said axles and carried by said lateral flanges of the casing, said frame having cross pieces engaged by said lower portion of the levers to control the movement of said frame when said levers are operated, controlling members integral with the rear end and the lateral sides of said frame, a slidably and pivotally mounted pawl, controlled by said member integral with the rear end of said frame, a spring urging said pawl for the return stroke of said pawl, frame and levers, a spring urged carriage and a pivotally mounted inking ribbon supporting lever controlled by said pawl, two spools rotatably supported by said lateral flanges of the casing and selectively actuated by said controlling members integral with the lateral sides of the frame during the return stroke of the latter, an arcuate axle located beneath said frame at the rear portion thereof, type bars pivotally mounted on said arcuate axle, and connecting rods connecting said type bars and said type bar control levers. v

2. A toy type writing machine of synthetic moulded material comprising a casing, axles interconnecting the lateral sides of said casing, type bar control levers and spacing bar supporting levers pivotally mounted on said axles, said levers having a lower portion extending beneath said axles, a slidably mounted frame located under said axles, said frame having cross pieces engaging said lower portion of the levers which actuate said frame when said levers are operated, said frame having a yoke integral with its rear end and extending upwardly, a vertically displaceable table carried by the casing at the rear end thereof, an elastically urged carriage supported by said table, said table having a tubular element at its middle portion and extending transversally to its longitudinal axis, then passing through the branches of said yoke, a pawl freely mounted on said tubular element and having two spaced apart teeth, a rack'integral with said carriage engaged by said teeth, a spring located in said tubular element and urging said pawl against said branches of the yoke, said pawl having a front frusto-conical portion, a pivotally mounted lever carried by said table and extending in front of said carriage engaged by said frusto-conical portion of the pawl, a stop element carried by said table and preventing the rotation of said pawl: in the direction for which said carriage is urged and pivotally mounted type bars connected to said type bar control levers.

3. In a type writing machine, two symmetrical half shells of synthetic moulded material connected together, each one of said half shells having longitudinal guiding elements and vertical guiding elements, a frame of synthetic moulded material engaged in said longitudinal guiding. elements, a T shaped table of moulded synthetic material engaged in said vertical guiding elements, a carriage of moulded synthetic material carrying a roller of synthetic moulded material fitted on said table and elas-- tically urged in one direction, said carriage having a rack a longitudinally and pivotally displaceable pawl carried by said table and engaging said rack of the carriage to control its displacement, said frame having an element to actuate said pawl and members to actuate it, a row of metallic axles connecting transversally said two half shells, a set of levers of synthetic moulded material pivotally mounted on said axles and engaging said actuating members of the frame and a set of pivotally mounted type bars of synthetic moulded material connected to said levers.

4. A type writing machine, according to claim 3, in which the pawl engaged with the'rack of the carriage comprises two teeth oifset with respect to each other by an interval equal at least to the thickness of the teeth of said rack, the distance separating these teeth being smaller than the width of said teeth of the rack, so that one tooth of the pawl is brought into one space between the teeth of the rack before the other tooth has allowed the escape of the rack tooth bearing against it.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS De Clamecy Sept. 30, 1919 

